REVIEW: "Beware of the sport! On the dangers of running, fitness and other physical activities, "Steven Barrer

You may find it a little strange to read a book review in our blog, whose author is struggling to persuade people to stop to mutilate himself intense exercise. But we believe that both sides must be heard! In fact the book is really interesting, and it has a grain of truth. Read should at least in order to begin more consciously relate to their passions and to define its line beyond which sport does not bring happiness and health, and pain and suffering.

I am six years almost without interruption actively involved in sports. It all began with folk dances, then moved to the gym, but I did not stay there. After a short break finally I found something that I like, and at age 13 went to the acrobatics. In 14 years, I had to combine acrobatics with sports aerobics - three times a week I had two workouts in total takes three hours.

After graduating from high school because of the study I had to slow down. Then were standard clubs from the steppe, modern dance and even martial arts. All this time I had only two sports injuries, and they are very light: ligament tension on the inner side of the thigh of the right leg (Very much like to put the squeeze on the right split in 13 years) and sprain an ankle of the right foot (unsuccessfully went to the step platform a couple of years ago). Left foot, I also managed to tuck, but it is no longer considered a sports injury, since the injury was obtained solely due to my haste and carelessness.

But there are people who manage to get injured on almost level ground. They seemed to attract every conceivable trouble. That such a man, in my opinion, is a neurosurgeon and author of "Caution, sport! On the dangers of running, fitness and other physical activities "Steven Barrer.

When this book came into my hands, I thought it was just another marketing ploy: the author simply goes against the current fashion craze for sports. After reading the introduction, I carried the author among the unlucky, but after the first chapter of "The Cult of the sport and the mechanics of injuries," my opinion has changed.

Injuries that Steven received during sports:

• scaphoid fracture of the wrist while riding a bicycle (such fused fractures rarely require fixation of bone fragments propeller);
• rupture of the plantar muscles while playing softball;
• broken ribs during one of the lessons of Aikido;
• concussion received during a basketball game;
• three-headed muscle injury while skiing with friends to ski;
• fracture of the distal phalanges of middle finger while playing basketball in high school;
• clavicle fracture, toe, forefinger plus many other abrasions, wounds, sprains, strains and bruises.

Chapters and summaries

The book has six chapters, each of which the author cites examples of historical and autobiographical and based on the results of various studies.

• Chapter 1. The cult of sports injuries and mechanics.
• Chapter 2. Activities and trendy sports: running, cycling and yoga.
• Chapter 3. Gaming and contact sports, boxing, football and hockey.
• Chapter 4. Extreme Sports.
• Chapter 5. Sports-industrial complex.
• Chapter 6. What to do? Gyms and working in the garden.

The first chapter It describes how the sport has become a cult in our society. Out of interest - fake autobiography, fitness icons. We are talking about Paul Bragg, who is a teacher of Jack LaLanne, one of the founders of the US fitness industry. The book also describes the history of the Jack and another icon of the fitness industry - Charles Atlas, a person who was recognized as the owner of the perfect body in the world. Next is a description of the work and structure of the muscles, as well as mechanics. Everything written is very simple, accessible language, so if you are at least somewhat familiar with the sport, it is easy to understand every sentence.

The second chapter of the nines fashion spread is now running (as well as manufacturers of sports shoes) and yoga. Running - a standard conversation on the topic loads on the joints, which are described as driving a nail with a hammer. Only in this case the nails - it is our feet.

That's what really surprised me, because it is an injury that can be obtained by doing yoga. One of the most memorable - stroke in relatively young people. The reason may be a posture with an extreme position of the head and neck, which can lead to injury of the carotid and vertebral arteries (they are the main suppliers of blood to our brain).

However, Steven emphasizes that yoga can and should be engaged, but only under close supervision of a trainer. Also worth honestly report all of their health problems and injuries, as virtually all the asanas have their contraindications. It is not for nothing that in any book or article referred to the list of diseases and problems that the execution of this exercise is contraindicated!

The third chapter about contact sports describes the mechanics of injuries and the whole range of relevant diseases and injuries, which are perfectly natural consequence of such a sports activity. These sports are particularly disliked by the author as his profession - neurosurgeon - it involves working with the consequences of such injuries (cranial). According to Stephen, boxing is the most brutal sport, and it is high time to ban.

With the fourth chapter too, everything is clear: to get injured while participating in parkour competitions, mountain biking or skiing freestyle, easy. The main culprit of all this ugliness is considered to be dopamine, the pleasure hormone released after participating in such competitions or even just training.

Overcoming the dangers on such competitions is somewhat similar to survival after an accident or overcoming some difficult curable disease. It is these feelings are often the impetus for a person to the inner degeneration and give a sense of fullness of life. As a result, it passes into a dependency that does not differ from the drug.

By the way, long-distance runners also have a "endorphin euphoria." Endorphins contribute to the development depending on the run, and that is why the athletes starts breaking, if they miss the next training.

The fifth chapter of we are talking about the fact that the sports industry is almost defies control and marketing, running sports corporation, people are trying to attach to the sport all imaginable and unimaginable ways. The basic idea: filter the information and do not go to extremes. Approval, as always, backed up by scientific data and papers.

The sixth chapter described the horrors that may be encountered in the gym, and even when working in the private garden (the garden): a variety of viruses and garden trauma with frightening consequences.

But it is necessary (this author recognizes) to maintain physical activity health. As a result, his choice fell on a recumbent exercise bike and personal sessions with a trainer.

results

Yes, the author is pathologically lazy (in what he admits) and unlucky when it comes to getting injuries during physical activity. He cites the example of incredible cases of injuries and illnesses that may occur with negligible probability, yet it is, and these cases are real. The book goes against the fashion trends, and there exists a frightening information for almost any sport (although swimming I have not found, but everything is simple: you can drown in water). However, it should be read to all lovers of sports for at least a full awareness of the risk to which they go.

Personally, I have decided to read this book to see the other side of the barrier and find out what they think about the race, cycling or triathlon people with a pathological aversion to sports, especially if they are doctors, and even neurosurgeons. ;)

Paper bookBuy at amazon